My first ever order from HLJ

[SebastianP]

Since someone else dusted this topic off for me, I thought I'd give a status report, such as it is...

First off, it's going on four weeks since the kit *shipped*, and it hasn't turned up yet. After a conversation on ARC with some of my more experienced countrymen, I'm pretty much resigned about having to wait until my birthday in the middle of January before it turns up.

The Tomcat I mentioned is doing splendidly - the seams turned out a little messy, since the only thing I had on hand to fill them with was thick superglue. That trench of a seam behind the canopy is still not completely filled yet, despite I think seven applications of glue, and sadly one of them ran over just a tad while I wasn't looking. Oh well. It's not like I pretend to be a master builder anyway.

I'm contemplating living on canned food and ramen for the next month, so I can afford to buy a VF-0D and a Strike Valkyrie and have them express shipped after Christmas. It'll do me some good, anyway - my regular diet since I moved out is alternating steak with fries and chicken leg with rice, which is neither the most healthy nor economic menu...

Some day I really want to do a project with decal swapping between a Super Hornet and a VF-0/VF-1 - do the one in RDF decals, and the other in USN livery. Think the Rhino would look good in white with heavily inked panel lines and violently colored trim? :-) Because I know the VF would look good in two-tone gray with subdued Star-and-bar...

SP

[BlackOps]

After participating in Tony's contest I looked around and started drooling over a bunch of these kits, I was thinking about ordering the VF-0A/S too, looks to be one bad mofo! Unfortunately I need to wait for the after Christmas shopping blitz...hey it's tradition!    

The VF-OD is also a looker and for some reason I keep picturing the VF-1A in Japanese markings. I really need to build one of these!



Jeff G.

[SebastianP]

With the blue paint job of the VF-0D, I'm instantly reminded of the Mitsubishi F-2 - and seeing as the local hobby shop has those in stock, *and* a spined F-16D (the VISTA boxing), I may just pick those up instead this month.

Thank the gods for 1/72 scale - without it, I would never be able to afford this hobby...

SP

[SebastianP]

What a day....

I decided, on three hours of sleep, that I really did need to add a Mitsubish F-2A to my collection, and headed off to the hobby shop. Where I not only got that, but a Revell Tornado GR.1 as well. And some Mr. Mark Softner, and a couple of tins of Humbrol. Sum total, $60, which was all well and good.

Then I got home and found the slip for my VF-0 in my mail when I got home - $20 of taxes and duties. I've now paid more in postage, taxes, duties, and exchange fees than I did for the actual plastic... I think I'll wait for QUITE a while before getting anything else. I think I'll make excellent friends with my can opener this month....

SP

[BlackOps]

LOL! Don't negglect your food buget too much or you might start halucinating...but then again what kind of whif's could one knock out while halucinating  

May the Whiffery God's smile upon your next build for all the the scrifices you have made in the name of aquiring that one more gotta have kit!!!

Can't wait to see some pics...heck can't wait to get back to building something of my own!


Jeff G.  

[K5054NZ]

Okay, guys, the first time I ever heard of Macross was when I saw Tony's stash here at What If. Never before did I know ANYTHING about it. I'm guessing you're all fans....to the best of my knowledge the series has never screened here or the kits retailed...interesting, I admit, but not something I'd be into myself. But keep us updated anyway! ^_^  

[SebastianP]

Never heard of...? Did you spend the entire 1980's under a rock, or are you just too young? :-)

Macross is one of the two original shows that combined giant robots with war drama, rather than superhero teams. (The other being Gundam). It was hugely popular, enough so that they actually extended the original run by half a season, which was simply unheard of.

In the mid-1980's, it, and two other mostly unrelated shows (same animation staff, but not much else), were cut-and-pasted together into Robotech, which was aired pretty much everywhere. They slaughtered the storyline, cut some scenes, and added new music, but most of the animation is still in the correct order, and it looks - for 1983 - gorgeous.

The creators regularly get back to the original Macross story and extend it, every five years or so. In 1988, there was a movie ("Do You Remember Love", badly dubbed and released as "Clash of the Bionoids"); in 1993, an OVA series/Movie (Macross Plus, which was dubbed and released in the US mostly unchanged), in 1998 another TV series (Macross 7, which is a next generation story. Never licensed, avaliable as a fansub still); and in 2003 a prequel called Macross Zero (as above - still available as a fansub).

SP